Contentious plans to build 260 homes on green fields in Caerphilly County Borough have been backed for approval by planning chiefs, despite dozens of objections.
Redrow Homes has submitted a reserved matters application to extend the Hendredenny area of Caerphilly.
Outline permission for the development on land north of Hendredenny Drive was granted after Welsh Government ministers overturned an application rejected by the county borough council’s planning committee.
Reserved matters are details of a proposed development which an applicant can choose not to submit at outline stage.
Under the plans 200 houses would be for private market sale, consisting of two,three and four-bedroom homes.
Another 36 would be for social rent and 24 would be low cost housing, with these clustered in eight locations of between seven and 16 houses.
Most of the homes would have on-site parking, with three parking courts serving three of the clusters of affordable housing.
Two equipped play areas and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) are also planned at the centre of the site, next to Rhuddlan Court.
The plans have been designed to incorporate a bus route within the site, to encourage the use of public transport.
Several pedestrian and cycle links are also planned to connect with existing nearby residential developments, while a connection to the Aber Valley Cycle Route – linking Caerphilly with Senghenydd – is also proposed.
However concerns remain over the plans, with 35 letters of objections lodged.
Worries include traffic congestion, parking problems, loss of green space and pressure on schools and doctor’s surgeries from the development.
The council’s landscape architect has also expressed concern about the loss of a hedgerow.
However a planning report says the principle of development on the site has been established with the granting of outline permission.
A planning inspector ruled the development would make “a significant contribution to housing land supply,” including provision of affordable homes.
Although outside of the Local Development Plan’s settlement boundary, the site was said to be sustainable due to providing access to nearby facilities and public transport.
The site is made up of five fields, extending to 11.2 hectares, separated by hedgerows and fences.
Planning officers have recommended approval when councillors consider the application at a meeting next Wednesday, June 19.